1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to track vehicles, and more particularly to improvements in assembling links and highway pads of such vehicles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Conventional links of track vehicles such as tanks require tensioning with chain-tighteners or similar tools in order to place the links over projecting pins connected to tread segments. The projecting pins are encapsulated in rubber with which the tank tread is filled. The rubber allows for torsional rotation of the pins as the tread passes over the ends of the track, and over uneven ground. Thus there is no rotational bearing to be degraded by sand, grit and the like. The link is pushed onto the pins after the treads are pulled close to each other by a tensioning tool, and the link is locked to the pins by tightening an internal bolt which draws up a wedge. The jamming action of the wedge also acts to prevent rotation of the pins with respect to the link.
In use, the internal bolts are subjected to forces which tend to stretch and loosen them. It is common practice to have to stop frequently and retighten the bolts on every link. This operation could cause a tread to be cast if neglected and could cause potentially disastrous delays during combat operations. Since the bolt heads are not always accessible--as when under the bogies, and on the inside of the inner treads--current practice is to tighten the bolts on the treads at the ends of the track. Each bolt tightening requires moving the tank a few inches to bring up the next set of tread segments; repeated for every set of 32 segments, a slow, frustrating and prolonged procedure.
An additional problem with current tread assemblies is the relatively slow assembly time of highway pads attached to the treads to facilitate high speed highway travel. Proposed quick assembly pads employ retaining mechanisms which rely on bending or gripping and may be subject to failure or which exert forces tending to release the pad itself.